Blood Runs Thicker than Water
by Army of Grimm
Summary: All that was left on her bed that morning was a bottle of red Dust. Ruby dreaded this day as she knew what that meant.


All that was left on her bed that morning was a bottle of red Dust. Ruby dreaded this day as she knew what that meant.

Ruby got up, changed out of her sleepwear as fast as she could (which was really fast) and ran out to find Weiss. She couldn't miss that speck of white moving in the field.

"Weiss, wait!"

The heiress kept walking and did not stop to look at her partner.

"I can't do that at the moment, Ruby!"

"Where are you going?"

"I'm..." She hesitated, chose her next words carefully. "I'm going home."

"Isn't it too early to do that? It's not even winter break yet and-"

"You saw the bottle, didn't you?!"

The huntress clad in black and red kept her mouth shut after hearing the new tone in her partner's voice. The poor girl had no idea that Weiss Schnee always put her family first, no matter how much she hated doing so. She did know that the heiress' father was calling her back home so that she could finally take care of the Dust Company, and to stop her studies at Beacon, because "you don't need that useless training in your life anyway! You're an heiress, my heiress, not a killer!"

Weiss realized that her partner Ruby Rose was saddened (in a very bad way!) and felt a strong tug at her heart. She couldn't bear to see her team leader, partner, and friend like this, on the day she might see her last. Weiss might not even be able to escape from this harsh reality that was called her father's company, but to make him happy, she had to do his biddings without hesitations and arguments. She stepped closer to Ruby who wasn't looking at her but at the grass, and reached out to her partner's face.

"Ruby, I..."

No, no, _no_, she can't let the words out. But she has to. _No! Yes! No!_ Back and forth the argument went on in her head. There was no exchange of words for a few tense seconds.

She tried again.

"I... I might not... Might not be able to... See..."

Silver eyes met hers, and how it hurt to see them tearing up already. She is such a dunce. That thought tugged at Weiss' heart again; she'll miss saying those things to Ruby, because she called no one else as stupid and childish and a complete dolt and a wonderful partner as this girl standing before her.

"No. Weiss. You can't... Can't l-leave m-me-"

The tears came up to her eyes and rolled down her cheek, and she let them be. Ruby stepped forward and hugged Weiss tightly, and it wasn't even a millisecond later when Weiss pulled her closer and let the tears fall where they may. Ruby was shaking as the realization hit her that this may be the first and last time she'll even hold her partner this close. No one wanted to let go.

"You... You can't do this, Weiss!" Ruby finally got some words out. "I-I thought you hated what he did, a-and I th-thought you'd n-never go back-"

"But I should, Ruby," Weiss interrupted, still holding onto her partner for dear life. "I don't want to let him down."

"Let him down?! You're too perfect to even try to disappoint someone!" her partner backfired. "You belong here, Weiss! With Beacon! And Team RWBY! And..."

Weiss knew this was going to hurt.

"With me..." her partner finished.

Yes, it pierced a large hole in her heart at a speed faster than Ruby. Wait, nothing beat Ruby Rose.

She couldn't believe her ears, either. She was only her father's, her family's, until today. But Ruby's?

"Can't you stay?" Ruby asked with a soft voice as she looked up at Weiss' face. Letting her go would end her life. Letting this perfection go, setting this dove free only to be caged in a tougher cell, she couldn't allow it. She shouldn't, and she wouldn't.

But some things can't be avoided. This is one of them. To this question, Weiss couldn't say anything. Stuck between a "no" and a "yes", it was much to bear.

With a sad sigh, Ruby broke the silence. "I see how it is," she muttered. "I'm sorry for being such a dunce. I don't understand this, but I do now, I... guess."

_It's time to go. _

_No, please, not yet! _

_Be strong for her. _

_How can I do that when I'm __**not? **_

Weiss directed a soft but sad smile towards Ruby and said, "You'll always be a dunce to me, Ruby Rose."

"In a bad way?" her partner asked as she looked up to see Weiss' smile. The scythe wielder couldn't help but feel her heart shatter; this was one of the few moments the heiress smiled genuinely, yet she was afraid this would be her last.

_This feels awfully nostalgic,_ Weiss thought to herself as she recalled the time when they were up in the Nevermore's feathers, soaring Dust-knows-how-many feet off the ground. These are the things she would miss- these moments with her partner that she might never have in a long, long time.

"In a good way," she replied. "In a really good way."


End file.
